Field of the Invention
The present application relates to surgical instruments and more particularly to laparoscopic surgical devices for suturing tissue.
Description of the Related Art
In surgical procedures, such as minimally invasive surgical procedures in which a surgical site is accessed through a port, it can be desirable to suture tissue with a suturing tool that can be advanced through a relatively low-diameter port to the surgical site. A suturing tool can be configured to advance a needle and attached suture through tissue in the surgical site such that an operator can create a running stitch to approximate tissue. Suturing devices have been made that pass a needle down the trocar with the needle's longitudinal axis perpendicular to the trocar's axis, which limits the length of the needle that may be used in the device to the inner diameter of the trocar. Moreover, current suturing devices typically include operation mechanisms that are complex and cumbersome to operate, requiring multiple operational steps to complete a single stitch. Desirably, an improved suturing device can include increased efficiency, simplicity and ease of use.